2012; the year in review

New plants this year include potato tree, palms, macho ferns, caladiums, wart fern to name of few. All of which performed very well. They stood up to the sun, wind and rain of southern Florida. The solanum macranthum, however, should be placed with some shelter from wind, if it's at all wilted in a breeze, the leaves will get shredded by the nasty spikes the plant sports. Still, it's a beautiful shrub-- huge leaves offer generous shade and the papery light purple flowers have a sweet scent. If I were gardening 'in terra' it would definitely be one to try. The palm offers light dappled shade for the begonias. It's canopy is large enough to create a feeling of an understory for part of the terrace. I also have baby foxtail, healthy, but it's got a lot growing up to do. Palms have turned out to be an appropriate addition to the garden; very wind resistant, they need sun, etc. Bougainvillea are another obvious choice. The more S Fl sun it gets, the more color it puts out. It has been installed on every side; handrail, walls, etc. 

[ Planted some large square planters with bougainvillea today- 2 colors each wart ferns and a fish tail fern for good luck. Repotted another magenta bougainvillea today that had been sorrily planted from the get go. I was able to tie the branches up and kept a good deal of the branches. I put a second magenta with it in the pot. It had been planted in its plastic pot with some slices in the sides and the botttom cut off. The soil was matted around Don't do this. Just plant the damn thing with the proper drainage in some good soil].

The blue ribbon however goes to an unlikely character; a shrub-like begonia, b U402. It's stems are succulent and one would assume it would be easily tossed by the wind, burned by the sun, drowned by the rain.. not only does it survive whatever's thrown at it, its habit is lovely and the small pink-ish white flowers, which have begun to appear, are charming. I can stick a stem anywhere, if the soil is reasonably friable, and it will thrive. It is available if you look around, but if you live in the Fort Lauderdale area and would like some cuttings please email me. In terms of tough begonias, that thrive on the terrace, b Arte Hodes (thicked-stemmed 'pig skin' type) is a vigorous specimen. I am looking forward to some blooming.

Blue ribbon winner 2012, year of the water dragon; b. U402 a Venezuelan species shrub-like begonia. Takes a lickin' and keeps on kickin'. 

The snake slithers hither

The year of the snake, brings with it, more bougainvillea. 

Summer snap dragon (angelonia augustifolia), a slightly
tamed wildflower. Served as a pretty 'filler'

.

More later.

Festivus

We are having some friends over tomorrow to celebrate this coniferous holiday and my garden is looking exhausted. I moved one pot here another there to hide bare spots, purchased eight small pots of snapdragons, yellow and a coral red and 2 other larger plants with very pretty blue jets of flowers (blue Angelface?) , they look like pretty weeds. Re-potted the rubber plant into one of the black plastic barrel haves that I paid 19$ for at HD. Tucked it in with some very rich, black soil. The thick dark (almost black) leaves of the rubber plant provide a nice contrast to the sprays of fern and bromeliad and the rather bare bougainvillea.

Keep a rubber in your pocket, the thick, glossy, almost black leaves offer a tropical counterpoint to the lighter, feathery ferns and bamboo.

Broken bones

I reported recently that the potato tree suffered a sudden wilt on one of its 2 trunks a week ago or so. I grabbed the trunk to turn the pot today and the skin on the trunk came off in a slimy mess in my hand. I cut into the wood a bit and the wood was brown. I grabbed the trunk and was able to twist it off at the base which didn't look sick. I mixed up a copper bath and drenched the poor thing. We'll see if the copper will protect the rest of the tree. The growth still growing on the plant looks vigorous.

We'll see how it recovers from the amputation of the gangrenous limb. Shown is the remaining arm, looking no worse for the loss of it's twin. It will probably send up some new branches fairly quickly (i'm guessing) it has a mature root system. The wayward snapdragon for color.   A fern of some sort would probably dress the base of the tree right nicely. Creeping fig and cereus background, with wart fern in adjacent square planter. 

Party on pagans (it's winter solstice time!)

Although a magic day, this the shortest of the year, I won't be sad to see the darkness of winter begin it's forced march toward longer days-- and more time in the garden.

The past week has been clear, although somewhat warm at the beginning of the week (70's) the temperature took a precipitous fall into the upper 40's last night. Had to postpone tennis until later in the morning. Anyway, regarding the sun-- it's been drying things out and I had the pleasure of watering a good many pots in the pm.    Though I had to pour a few water cans earlier in the week on blood orange and bamboo and pandora / jasmine / bougainvillea grouping in the center handrail planters at night after work.

I have a small variegated bougainville that's been planted for 2 years now in a very pretty light blue glazed ceramic pot. Unfortunately.. after my application of granular Protect and Feed it has dropped most of it's leaves. It could be a coincidence, the problem is a pest of some sort, but probably not. Too much pesticide for the potted bougie. Happily there are buds poking out on the branches. It has a pretty habit and I've kept it small-- maybe a future bonsai specimen? One thing I've learned with the variegated leaves, highlighted with a bright lime green is NOT to overdo the nitrogen. It will turn the leaves a solid green. When in full (variegated) foliage and bloom this thing is a charmer.

Not in bloom here but the lime highlight of the leaves still very pretty

Let us now praise famous queens.

A facebook posting by a friend brought back memories of this remarkable beauty, the International Crysis. 

 In spite of the demands that must have come with being a glamorous icon, International Crysis made time to help many a young addict stay away from drugs a day at a time. 

A showgirl  in her dressing room (the pyramid club?)-- shear magic

No mas nada

Warm day. Pondering the garden in the last breathes of daylight, everything still here. Put sprigs of U402 in pots newly planted. I have a wonderful pot FULL of the little begonia. Such a pretty habit. I'll post pics.

Southerly eve

Life expectancy of a blog?

Work has been grinding and the daylight fleeting. We are six days away from the winter solstice.The journey then begins back around the track to summer time. Not sure if that will inspire more blogging or not. Growth as it begins in the late winter here (March) is indeed exciting and will undoubtedly inspire some reporting. It has been hard to bring myself and spend an hour typing about the my wards.

I'll soldier on.. today, I pulled out the pelletized form of Bayer Protect and Feed. You, imaginary reader, must think I'm sick using this pesticide (is it really necessary..? ) yes, it is necessary. The bougainvillea are almost all bare of foliage, though they are putting on a refreshing show of color. Of course, being the intuitive genius that I am (not) I nonchalantly measured a wildly approximate application of the poisonous food. I did use sense and water in well. I was  a little disconcerted to see that the pellets immediately began to dissolve-- they were not the time release granules I was hoping for.  As always, we shall see. I wish I could report exact measurements of fertilizer, mixture of soils, etc. that might be of use to the gardener who stumbles upon this note in a bottle, but I don't. Perhaps it might be of comfort to know that my plants are usually quite forgiving and I think they know I am trying. It had rained early this am so some of the pots under the eaves had already been watered. After watering in bougies, I followed up doing planters and bamboo pot. I am going to cut way back on the water for the bamboo, I think I've been overdoing it hence the rotting culms. However, perhaps the rotting culms might turn out to be a blessing as it will take longer for the rhizomes to explode the beautiful pot it's current home.

Bought this white bougie last week at home depot. I hope for some healthy growth during summer time. It is such a pretty color. I really need to dedicate some study time to learn more about the most effective care to promote foliage and blooms.

Now here is a tidbit that a fellow terrace/ patio gardener in Zone 10b might use- try a bowl o' burle. A Mexican unglazed bowl with some nice soil and some cuttings of the philodendron Burle Marx. The leaves are thick and glossy green. The plant will grow up and over the bowl, making a nice specimen. It is however, very cold sensitive. anything below 40 will knock the wind out of it's sails. 

Last but not least for this posting is one of my favorite views.. looking west over an outline bamboo and bird-of-paradise.

guten nacht mien leibchen

Bless my garden (please) St. Fiacre

Yesterday. Spent the last 6 hours of light playing house. It all began, as it often does at home depot.. I bought 2 black plastic faux barrel shaped pots. The black color would hide them as they were to be tucked in the back and cost about 19$ per. There were for replanting the macho ferns which had way outgrown their cheap plastic containers.. drilled 5 holes using .5" drill bit.  I pulled out one of then machos from behind bamboo. So much can happen in the human mind at once.. I had to move several of the major pots to get back so that immediately afforded me a new avenue to sweep fallen bamboo  blades. But, this was after I extracted a rubber plant that I had growing through the handrail for the past year or so. It was looking a little dizzy from the street and I've been meaning to get a grip on the leggy bleeding heart that was next to it in the planter.

The rubber plant redux

 To my surprise, the bleeding heart was putting out some white racemes, they grow from the end of the vine, so I did not trim them. Now, I moved the macho fern out onto the operating table and shaved it down to 1" stubble. Began filling trash bag.. swept out the area against the western wall next to tall purple bougainvillea and the pot in which another macho shares with a bird-of-paradise. I move the mini-bracted magenta bougainvillea to transplanting spot on other side of terrace. It was going to finally move into a jarra, not too much larger than it's existing container, but enough to surround the root ball with new, loamy, black, fertile soil.

La jarra 

 While sweeping behind the bamboo, however, I took a good look at some of the bases of rotted culms that hide tried to grow recently but had rotted on their way up. Also had 2 instances of the upper branches of existing culms dying. Fortunately, they were smaller branches and the other foliage with the bare spot made when I trimmed off the dead. I had given the Buddha belly a copper fungicide bath a few days ago. Something in my gut tells me it's over-watering that's encouraged some fungus.. so I'm going to let it dry out until blades are nice and curled- hoping it that copper will nip further rot in the rhizome.

Off to work. No time for good grammer.  More later.

Early to rise

Up early enough to sweep up a bag of leaves and petals, shuffle some pots around. Fed some with pesticide / plant food. Fed croton and pot of Burle Marx with fish emulsion. It's supposed to be deodorized with mint, but it smells something awful, rotting offal- but good for the soil.

I'm wondering about the palm. Just because it was there for the stealing doesn't necessarily mean it's the most appropriate in terms of the size it might end up. It's pretty having the feathery canopy offering some shelter from the sun. Hopefully it will fill out before growing to high.

Garden time time

Sunny day, went to Palm Hammock to look at begonias. I finally had my coupon punched 5 times and I can get 20% of my next purchase. I was ready for a new begonia, but I realized I was too tired of having my heart broken by having gorgeous begonias rot and die on me to buy. It came to me standing in one of the hot houses, the air was perfectly still, humid and filled with bright direct light, that's where they want to be. Or in some shady nook in a fabulous garden in Coral Gables.  I did looked at a fishtail-like fern.  They wanted $55 for a 3 gal. It was beautiful, but the price put me off a little. Ferns do well on the terrace. One would think the salty air, sun etc wouldn't encourage growth, but to date they've done quite well. I should say that I do have some begonias still kicking, one Arte Hodes-like pigskin types, one of the white flowered b grandis, one b 'DOC' a Tim Anderson hybrid. U402 just won't leave me alone, I love it. Also, still have some caribbean queen poking it's head up in the orange pot.

Pandorea jasminoides Charisma charming the handrail. Only positive things to say about this simple, cottage vine.

I've posted pics of this girl before. She's come into blooom again and there's something very elegant about a deep, shiny emerald leaf and a simple white blossom, the scent of which, on a still, humid night is intoxicating. Might the steroidal 10-52-10 be coaxing this flush of blooming?